Sweet And Simple
by honestlybroken
Summary: "Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weakness" Ann Landers - Collection of snapshots into Cloud and Leon's life together. Domestic AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Geez, it's been nearly a month since I last posted anything. I've lost my muse! Anyways, here's a little something to help me get my mojo back. I've got about half a dozen drafts that I just can't finish. It's a bit of a different style from all my previous writings, I think. The title is from Journey's song "Sweet And Simple", one of the songs I was listening to while writing.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts (Or Journey)

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Leon cradled his cell phone between his shoulder and ear as he struggled to open the front door. How is it that his father always managed to call at the most inconvenient times?

"We never talk anymore, Squall." Laguna whined through the phone.

"How many times have I told you, it's Leon now?" Hands filled with paperwork and an empty travel mug, Leon was finally able to turn the key and push the door open. He dropped the papers on the couch to sort later before kicking off his boots. "And we had coffee just last week, Laguna."

"How many times have I told you, it's Dad?"

"Whatever." Leon mumbled. He peeked into the kitchen to find Cloud stirring something at the stove. Cloud turned to acknowledge the older man with a smile before going back to his cooking.

"And coffee for an hour isn't talking. I think we should spend an evening together. I haven't been to your apartment yet and you've lived there for over a year now…"

Leon groaned as he moved further into the apartment to finish the conversation out of the blond's earshot. He could feel a headache coming on as his father started up his not-so-subtle hints for an invitation over.

"I've told you before, Laguna. It's a small apartment. Not much to look at and no space."

"No space to have one guest over for dinner? No apartment is that small. _Squall_."

No, his apartment was definitely not that small. As a matter of fact, it was a spacious two-bedroom apartment with a large living room, kitchen, dining area, and a private balcony that over-looked Radiant Garden. The real reason Leon had never invited his father over was Cloud.

Leon and Cloud had started out as friends before becoming roommates after Cloud decided he wanted a more permanent residence. And now they were something…more. They never really talked about what they were to each other, and Leon never really put much thought into it. But one day they were sleeping in separate rooms. And the next, naked, sweaty limbs were tangled on the kitchen floor. The transition period of friends-with-benefits didn't last very long before feelings became involved, bringing them to where they were now.

Leon wasn't ashamed of Cloud. Far from it. But he was concerned about how Laguna would react. His father had no idea Leon was bi, and he definitely didn't know he had been living and sleeping with the same man for nearly a year.

Laguna had not known about Leon for most of the younger brunet's life. When he found out he was a father, Laguna searched his son out and they had been in and out of each other's lives for over five years now. But Leon was still getting used to having a father and didn't know Laguna as well as he would have liked. Admittedly he hadn't given the man much of a chance for them to get to know each other. He wasn't sure what of the whole situation scared him more; disappointing his father, or his father disappointing him.

Leon pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed into the phone. "Fine. Come over for dinner tomorrow night. There's someone I want you to meet anyways."

"Is this a _special_ someone?" Leon could hear the grin in his father's voice and was already regretting his decision.

"Yes. But don't make a big deal of it."

"Oh come on, Squall! A father isn't allowed to be excited about meeting whoever it is that puts a smile on his son's face?"

"I mean it Dad. Don't screw this up for me."

"They mean that much to you, huh?" Laguna's voice sobered as the gravity of the situation settled over him. Leon had called him dad only half a dozen times in the years they had known each other.

"Yeah... They do. So make one wrong move and I will kick you out on your ass."

"I'll be on my best behaviour. So, tomorrow at six?"

"Sure. I'll text you the address. See you then."

Leon hung up the phone, peering down the hallway to see if Cloud had come looking for him. He could hear the sounds of cooking; the echo of pots and pans knocking against each other and something sizzling as it fried. This was either going to be the best decision of his life, or the worst.

Leaving his cell, tossing it on their shared bed through the open door, Leon made his way back to the kitchen. He leaned against the door frame, watching as the blond moved around the kitchen. Cloud's hair was slightly damp from an earlier shower causing his naturally gravity-defying spikes to slightly droop. A worn t-shirt hugged Cloud's lean frame making his back muscles visible as they moved while he stirred something in a pot. And a loose pair of faded jeans hung low on Cloud's narrow hips; the extra fabric gathered under his bare feet.

"How was work?" Cloud glanced at Leon over his shoulder before turning back to the stove.

"Boring. Tedious. How was yours?"

Cloud laughed, "About the same. That and dirty." Cloud wrinkled his nose at the memory of the grease and oil stains he'd been covered in thanks to a particularly troublesome repair job and incompetent co-worker. "So… how's Laguna?" Cloud chanced a guess at who Leon had been talking to when he arrived home.

"Fine. As frustrating as usual. He's coming over for dinner tomorrow."

"Really?" Cloud turned to fully look at Leon, a hopeful smile playing at his lips. Cloud has made it known to Leon that he wanted to meet his father but knew better than to push it.

"Yeah. Really. Figured it was time you two met." Leon gave a casual shrug as he tried to downplay the significance of his announcement. In response, Cloud's smile widened until he was positively beaming.

"Are you sure?"

"No." Leon answered honestly. Of all the things he'd done in his life, this was by far the most terrifying.

"Oh." Cloud deflated, his shoulders slumping as his smile faltered. A brief flash of hurt fluttered across his face before he put on his best fake smile. "I can always clear out for the night. And move my stuff back to the other room. Then you can tell him I'm your roommate. It's the truth, really…so…" Cloud trailed off as he turned away, avoiding Leon's gaze as he went back to absently stirring.

"I can't back out now. I told him I had someone I want him to meet and he won't believe I just meant my roommate. Besides, I want to introduce you two. I'm just…anxious."

Leon moved into the kitchen, approaching the blond so he could wrap arms around Cloud's torso. He pulled Cloud into him, bringing the blond's back flush with his chest. Cloud melted into the brunet's embrace. A soft smile tugging at his lips as Leon's breath tickled the side of his face.

"You want to?"

"I want to." Leon murmured into Cloud's ear before kissing a trail down the blond's neck. Cloud tilted his head to the opposite side, allowing better access to the sensitive skin Leon was currently worshipping.

"What should I make for dinner tomorrow?"

"Don't worry about it. We'll order a pizza or something."

"You want to order take-out the first time you dad comes over for dinner?" Cloud scowled at the idea. "Do you not like my cooking?"

"The opposite. If he gets fed one of your meals, he'll invite himself over every day."

Cloud let out a snort before turning to give Leon a quick peck on his nose as he shrugged out of the embrace. "Well tonight's dinner is ready. Set the table, please."

After a nice quiet dinner -that was as superb as always- Leon opted for doing the dishes in the morning choosing instead to take his younger lover to bed. He dragged their lovemaking out as long as possible; relishing in the sweet sounds emitting from the writhing blond sprawled out beneath him. Now satiated, they lay tangled together cherishing the silence. Cloud had his head nestled on Leon's shoulder as he traced patterns along the brunet's chest and across his abs while Leon had one arm wrapped around Cloud's back and the other tucked under his head, propping it up.

"What are you thinking about?" Cloud broke the increasingly tense silence.

"Tomorrow. What do I call you?"

"Usually Cloud. But sometimes Jerk, Ass, Idiot- Y'know, your affectionate nicknames kinda suck."

"That's not what I mean and you know it. Idiot." Cloud chuckled as the brunet lightly smacked his shoulder. "How do I introduce you to Laguna? I can't use boyfriend. It's juvenile."

"Yeah... We're not a couple of teenagers."

"How about mate?"

"We're not animals either."

"Well, one of us isn't."

"Hey!" Cloud slapped Leon's chest in protest. "You ever want to have sex again?"

Leon laughed as he kissed the top of Cloud's head.

"How about...accomplice?" Cloud suggested with a grin.

"We're not criminal masterminds." Leon laughed. "Though I could introduce you as my sidekick."

"If you do, I hope you enjoyed tonight. Because that will be the last time I ever have sex with you."

"Okay. Not sidekick." They lapsed back into silence. Cloud continued running his fingers along Leon's chest as Leon mimicked the patterns down Cloud's back. "Companion?"

"Uh-uh. It sounds…cheap."

Leon grunted in agreement before drifting silent once more.

"You know, I'm okay with roommate." Cloud murmured as his fingers halted in their movements, curling into his palm.

"But I'm not okay with roommate. I want to do this right."

"And introducing me as Master isn't right?"

"No." Leon let out another chuckle. "I don't even want to know how he'd take that."

Cloud reddened at Leon's insinuation, burrowing his face into the brunet's chest with a groan in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"What about partner?"

Cloud pushed himself up and twisted so he was leaning over the brunet. He was propped up with his right forearm on a pillow and his left hand braced on Leon's chest. Cerulean eyes stared unwavering into steel-grey. "Partner?" he repeated, testing the word out as it rolled off his tongue.

"I know that it sounds long-term and we've never talked about the future. But we've been together for about a year and- I want long-term with you. You know...like...life-" Leon's ramblings were cutoff as Cloud leaned down to kiss him.

The blond pulled back breathless, "I like partner." He shifted so he was straddling the brunet's waist before leaning down for another kiss, his hands now braced either side of Leon's head. Leon wrapped his arms around Cloud's shoulders before flipping them so he had the blond caged beneath him. He deepened the kiss; running his tongue along Cloud's bottom lip before devouring any further words that would pass between them.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Since there was some interest expressed in a second chapter, here it is. Writing this domestic fluff is so unusual for me. But fun. I'm toying with the idea of continuing this fic as a collection of domestic one-shots all in the same universe. We'll see I guess. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

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When Cloud woke up the next morning -sprawled across Leon who was still snoring softly- the fact that Leon's father was coming for dinner finally dawned on him. Yes, he had wanted to meet the man but with the prospect of it finally staring him in the face, he was terrified.

Cloud looked around the room wrinkling his nose. He had to clean. Scrambling off the bed, waking Leon in the process with an inadvertent elbow to the gut, Cloud quickly pulled on the same clothes he wore the night before.

"What are you doing?" Leon blinked away sleep, turning over to watch Cloud shimmy into his jeans before pulling a t-shirt over his head.

"Laguna is coming over and we have to clean. And I've got to make a trip to the store. What do you want to eat? Cloud shot a hurried glance over his shoulder before bending down to gather up some stray pieces of laundry.

"He's not going to be here for-" Leon turned over to look at the bright green numbers lit up on the clock next to the bed, "Hyne, Cloud! He's not going to be here for eleven hours. Which means, we get to sleep in. So get your ass back over here." Leon collapsed back onto the bed, motioning the blond over with a lazy wave of his hand before closing his eyes. He wasn't awake enough to worry over his father's looming arrival.

"Can't." Cloud continued to move around the room, tossing the laundry into the hamper in their en-suite before gathering up the few loose papers and books that had slowly been strewn throughout the room. "Will you get up so I can make the bed?"

Leon peeled his eyes open, taking in the look of annoyance gracing the blond's features. Cloud was standing at the side of the bed leaning over Leon with brows drawn together and his bottom lip stinking out in a slight pout.

"One more hour and I'll get up." Leon reached a hand out, wrapping his fingers around one of Cloud's wrists before giving a sharp tug, yanking him onto the bed.

Cloud let out an undignified yelp as he landed on top of the brunet. "Squall!"

Ignoring the blond's indignant cry Leon wrapped his arms around him, turning over so Cloud was now trapped beneath him. "Just give me one more hour of peace and I will do whatever you want." Leon murmured into Cloud's hair fighting back a smile as Cloud struggled beneath him. If Cloud really wanted Leon off him, the brunet would have already been shoved to the floor.

"We need to vacuum."

"I'll vacuum."

"And I'm cooking dinner. No take-out."

"No take-out." Leon agreed as Cloud's struggling ceased.

Knowing that he was fighting a losing battle, Cloud huffed before squirming until he was in a more comfortable position and closed his eyes. It wasn't long before Leon's breathing had evened out indicating the brunet was once again asleep.

After literally kicking Leon out of bed more than two hours later, they spent what was left of the morning cleaning. Their apartment was kept fairly tidy and there wasn't much that really needed doing –aside from the dishes Leon left the night before. But Cloud was getting increasingly nervous, and when nervous he had a tendency to overdo things. Something Leon learnt very early on in his relationship with the blond.

Which is why, when Cloud left to buy whatever he needed to make dinner, Leon slumped onto the couch exhausted. Cloud had wanted to scrub every inch of the apartment before Laguna's arrival. He'd been opposed to stopping for lunch until Leon told him there was no way he was cleaning anymore without food since they had skipped breakfast. And they had been near done anyways.

But he could understand Cloud's nerves. This was a big step in their relationship. Last night they took a step deciding on a label of 'partners'. A word that had many long-term -siding on permanent- connotations. Connotations Leon wanted and was more than thrilled that Cloud accepted. But tonight was bigger. Tonight wasn't two people agreeing on a word for something that was already there. Tonight he was going to have two of the most important people in his life meeting for the first time. And what if they didn't get along?

When Cloud arrived home from the store, he dropped the groceries in the hall before kicking off his boots and crawling onto the couch. He curled up next to Leon, resting his head on the brunet's chest while his fingers picked at the fabric of Leon's t-shirt.

"What's wrong?" Leon dropped his arm from where it rested along the back of the sofa to wrap around Cloud's shoulders.

"What if he doesn't like me?"

"How could he not?"

"I'm a guy."

The room fell silent as Leon thought over his answer. Truthfully, he'd been worrying about the same thing. "His loss."

"I'm serious Leon." Cloud sat up to look Leon in the eye. "If he doesn't…agree with _this_" he frantically gestured between the two of them before gripping the sleeve of Leon's shirt tight enough to turn his knuckles white, "what will you do?"

"I'll tell him to leave." Leon answered simply.

"No you won't. You can't choose me over your own father."

"Yes I can. Do you not remember last night?" Leon brought a hand up, his knuckles softly brushing blond bangs out of Cloud's face. "I want forever with you."

Cloud sighed as he rested his forehead against Leon's, "I'm scared."

"I know. But you shouldn't be. No matter what happens tonight, you'll always have me." Leon's hand cupped the blond's face, the pad of his thumb wiping away the few tears that had managed to escape Cloud's eyes during his confession. "Now let's put away the groceries. Then we've got time for a nap before we should start making dinner."

"A nap? Really?" Cloud scoffed as he climbed off the couch, pulling Leon with him.

"Yeah, really. The kind that involves me getting you naked."

"You're such a sleaze." Cloud admonished as he ushered Leon into the kitchen.

Several hours later and Cloud had just put the finishing touches on a peach pie before sliding it carefully into the oven. It joined the pot roast and roasted veggies he had prepared earlier with Leon's help. That, along with a salad and crusty French bread rolls, was dinner. Cloud was crouched in front of the oven watching the food cook as he worried his bottom lip. If the food burnt, the whole evening would be ruined.

Standing up from his crouch, Cloud stretched his back before wiping flour covered hands down the front of his already stained shirt. Stained thanks to Leon molesting him with his own grimy hands before Cloud shooed him out of the kitchen to shower. He glanced at the time displayed on the microwave seeing he had about thirty minutes before Laguna arrived. More than enough time for a quick shower before dinner was ready.

"Hey, Lee. I'm just going to… shower..." Cloud trailed off as he entered the hallway. Leon wasn't alone.

Standing several inches taller than Leon was, without a doubt, his father. Leon was the spitting image of Laguna from their chocolate-brown locks to their pointed nose and angular jaw. But Laguna's eyes were a bright, mossy green whereas Leon's were a stormy grey. Both men turned to look at Cloud. Laguna's green eyes questioning and Leon's grey filled with apprehension.

"You're early." Cloud's voice was hard as he stared accusingly at Laguna. His back was rigid, arms crossed threateningly over his chest as his brain tried to catch up with his mouth. He hated being caught unaware, and Laguna standing in the hallway half an hour early, took Cloud completely by surprise.

Leon's eyebrows shot up as he mouthed 'what the hell?' while something unidentifiable flashed across Laguna's face. Laguna's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied the blond before him. He was several inches shorter than Squall, but looked just as dangerous. His eyes were big and bright, even with the angry glint. And the scowl adorning his face did nothing to hide the allure of his soft features. Interesting.

Once his brain caught up with his mouth, Cloud's eyes went wide as his arms curled tighter over his chest. That was definitely not the first impression he wanted to make. He opened his mouth in an attempt to apologize only for his words to get caught in his throat. The whole time, green and grey eyes stared unwavering, making Cloud feel smaller and smaller. After what felt like hours, and was really mere seconds, Cloud turned on his heel and disappeared back into the kitchen without another word.

"I'm so sorry- I don't know- I'll be right back." Leon stammered at his father, eyes wide in shock and cheeks flushed pink. "Make yourself at home." he waved his hand gesturing to the living room before following after Cloud.

Standing just inside the doorway, Leon watched Cloud slump forward on one of the kitchen chairs. Cloud had his elbows propped on his knees and his head cradled in his hands. A flash of blue appeared between fingers as Cloud looked up at Leon and back down again.

"That could have gone worse." Cloud mumbled into his palms.

"Yeah." Leon slowly approached the blond. "You could have told him to leave and come back in half an hour."

Cloud let out a forced laugh as Leon knelt in front of him. Leon placed his hands on top of Cloud's, gently prying them away from the bond's face. Reluctantly Cloud allowed Leon to pull his hands away but kept his head hung in shame. Leon replaced Cloud's hands with his own, gingerly cupping the blond's cheeks. He slowly tilted Cloud's head up so he could look him directly in the eyes.

"I'm sorry." Cloud murmured.

"I know." Leon leaned forward, catching Cloud's lips in a sweet kiss. "I'll talk to him."

Cloud nodded, leaning down as he sought out Leon's lips for another kiss.

"You're a mess." Leon laughed breathlessly after pulling back from the kiss. He gently wiped a thumb across Cloud's cheek, smearing one of several patches of flour adorning his porcelain face.

"I need a shower."

"You do. So how about you shower, I talk to Laguna and we start again, hum?"

"I have to clean the kitchen."

"You and your cleaning." Leon chuckled as he stood, holding a hand out for Cloud. "I'll clean up this mess, you clean up that mess." He gestured between the kitchen and Cloud.

"Okay." With one last kiss, Cloud nipped out of the kitchen ducking his head to avoid any attention from Laguna.

Laguna had been wandering around the living room taking in the sparse décor. There wasn't even a single photo out for him to look at. The walls were bare, and very few pieces of furniture filled the room. The main piece of attraction was a large flat screen TV with a state of the art sound system. Someone living here was a tech junkie.

Laguna trailed his finger along a bookshelf filled with dog-eared cookbooks, maintenance guides, and a random assortment of novels. One of his fingers caught on something tucked carefully between two history books. Gently pinching the corner of the paper, he slid it out. After a quick glance towards what he gathered was the kitchen he looked down at what was in his hand. It was a picture of the blond he had seen earlier, fast asleep on the couch. His son was a sap.

"Laguna?"

Laguna jumped slightly turning to look at Leon, guiltily hiding the picture behind his back.

"What were you looking at?" Leon cautiously moved closer to his father, trying to look around the older man.

"Nothing?"

"Laguna."

"Fine. I just found this picture." Laguna hesitantly handed the photo over to Leon.

A faint blush coloured Leon's cheeks as he looked at the photo. "He still doesn't know I took this." Leon leaned past Laguna, sticking the picture back where his father had found it.

"So… he's your…?"

"My partner." Leon nodded, a smile tugging at his lips as he got lost in memories of last night.

"And there's the smile I was talking about!" Laguna exclaimed as he pointed at Leon's face.

"There's no smile!" Leon attempted to scowl, but instead his smile widened as he let out a laugh.

"What's his name?" Laguna questioned, suppressing his own chuckle at his son's antics.

"Cloud." Leon's voice softened as his young lover's name rolled off his tongue.

"Huh. Suits him."

"Only when he's not pissed off."

"He'd have to have a fiery attitude to live with you."

"Hey! For your information, he's the difficult one."

"How long have you two been together?"

"About a year now. We were roommates first, then- He's pretty special, Laguna." At the sound of movement behind him, Leon looked over at the kitchen where Cloud had once more disappeared. "And he's sorry about earlier."

"It's alright." Laguna shrugged. "He's nervous. You both are."

"We didn't- _I _didn't know how you'd react."

"How I'd react to what? The fact that my son's in love with a man? I don't care, Squall. He makes you smile."

"He does that." Leon scratched the back of his neck awkwardly as he felt his cheeks redden at his father's words. "Thanks."

"Now," Laguna rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Do I get to properly meet your Cloud? And what's for dinner? It smells delicious."

Leon let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "Of course. And dinner is pot roast with roasted vegetables and pie." Leon turned towards the kitchen, calling for Cloud, "Cloud? Can you come here for a sec?"

"Yeah, just a- Shit!"

The distinct clamour of a cookie sheet landing on the stove echoed throughout the apartment. Without pausing to say a word to Laguna, Leon had moved across the living room and into the kitchen.

Cloud was standing in front of the stove glaring at the cookie sheet laying innocently covered in roasted vegetables. He had the tips of two fingers in his mouth and his other hand was tangled in his spikes as he tugged them in frustration. An oven mitt was strewn across the kitchen; obviously guilty of injuring the blond as well.

"What happened?"

"I burnt myself." Cloud scowled at his fingers before sticking them back in his mouth to dull the pain.

"You weren't using the mitt properly, were you?" Leon hazard a guess at what caused the initial incident.

"What do you think?" Cloud snapped, turning to glare at Leon.

"Alright." Leon raised his hands in a placating manner. "No need to get all pissy at me."

Ignoring the icy glare being directed at him, Leon approached the blond. He roughly took Cloud's wrist and led him to the sink. Turning on the water to its coldest, he yanked Cloud's hand underneath ensuring the burns were under the steady stream. Cloud let out a hiss as the cold met his burn, but the death glare he was aiming at Leon lessened.

Without a word, Leon left Cloud at the sink to retrieve a couple of ice cubes from the freezer. He returned to the sink -shutting the water off with more force than necessary- before pulling Cloud's hand up so he could inspect the burns. A nice line trailed from one finger to the next distinctively emulating the edge of the tray. With more tenderness than he displayed earlier, Leon guided the hand closer before softly kissing each finger. Cloud sighed in defeat, slumping against the counter as he faced away from Leon and the ice-cube now being held to his fingers.

"I've decided, I don't want to do this anymore."

"Do what?" Leon asked without looking up from the ice he held to the burns.

"Dinner."

"Oh?" Leon tore his gaze away from Cloud's fingers attempting to make eye contact.

"You two can eat. I'm going to leave. Probably just stay at Tifa's for the night or something." Cloud continued, avoiding Leon's cool grey eyes as he stared at the offending cookie sheet.

"And how exactly do you plan on leaving? Are you going to just march out the front door without even saying 'hi'?"

"No. I was thinking of sneaking out off the balcony."

"We're eight floors up."

"I can climb down to a lower floor."

"Cloud."

"Leon."

"He already likes you."

Cloud looked at Leon with disbelief painted all over his face. "Oh yeah. 'Cause I made such a great first impression." He replied sarcastically.

Leon sighed as he manoeuvred the blond so his back was against the counter. "He likes you. He likes that I like you."

"You _like_ me?" Cloud arched an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest as Leon moved closer.

"What? Were you expecting something more?" Leon rested his hands on Cloud's narrow hips, squeezing them gently as if to make sure Cloud wouldn't run away just yet.

"Of course not." Cloud scoffed, voice once more dripping with sarcasm.

Leon leaned closer, catching Cloud's lips in a kiss before moving his hands over Cloud's hips to rest firmly on his backside.

"Your father is in the other room." Cloud hissed as he pushed Leon back, hands splayed out on the brunet's chest.

"So?" Leon shrugged before leaning down to pepper kisses along Cloud's jaw.

"So," Cloud gently pushed Leon again, "get your hands off me you lecherous old man."

"Lecherous old man?" It was Leon's turn to arch a brow at Cloud.

"Yeah. If you get to call me an ass I get to call you that." Cloud shrugged.

"I have never called you an ass. I've said I like your ass." Leon squeezed Cloud's backside for emphasis before once more claiming his soft lips, effectively stopping the blond from voicing any more protests.

Cloud gave in with an exasperated sigh as he wrapped his arms around Leon's neck, pulling the brunet closer. Leon trailed his hands lower to grip the back of Cloud's thighs before hoisting the blond onto the counter. Cloud moaned into the kiss, sucking Leon's lower lip as his legs wrapped around the brunet's waist. Cloud's hands were fisted in the hair just above Leon's neck while Leon's hands traced soothing circles along Cloud's hips and up the side of his thighs.

They had completely forgotten about their company until an exaggerated cough interrupted their impromptu make-out session. Both men broke away from the kiss whipping their heads around to stare at Laguna. Laguna was leisurely leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed in casual indifference in a stance eerily similar to one of Leon's. His green eyes were bright with amusement as his lips twitched up in a small smile.

"Sorry to interrupt, but could this wait until after I go home?"

Cloud's legs fell from Leon's waist, heels smacking into the cupboards beneath the counter. He groaned before dropping his head to rest on Leon's shoulder. "I give up."

Leon backed away from the counter, gently tugging Cloud after him. Once the blond's feet were firmly planted on the floor, Leon swept his hands along Cloud's shoulders and down the front of his shirt smoothing out any wrinkles. Cloud's fingers carefully combed Leon's hair before mimicking the brunet's actions straightening out his shirt. Once they were both presentable, Leon turned to Laguna. But not before grabbing one of Cloud's hands and entwining their fingers together, as he sensed the blond was about to make a dash for the exit.

"Cloud. This is Laguna, my father." Leon figured he may as well break the awkward silence with his introductions.

Cloud -who had been valiantly looking anywhere but at Laguna- gave a small wave with the hand that wasn't being occupied by Leon's before quickly dropping it back to his side, fingers nervously playing with the fabric of his jeans.

"And Laguna, this is Cloud," Leon looked over at Cloud. Cloud's head was bent down and his shoulders slumped. He was attempting to curl in on himself as, once again, he could feel two pairs of equally scrutinizing eyes on him. The hand in Leon's was clammy, the fingers twitching as Cloud fought the urge to pull them loose so he could fold his arms across his chest as a barricade. Leon gave Cloud's hand a gentle squeeze catching the blond's attention. He turned to look at Leon, his cerulean eyes overflowing with fear as he bit down on his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. Leon gave him a reassuring smile before he continued speaking.

"This is Cloud, my partner." Leon bent his neck to kiss the tip of Cloud's nose before turning back to smile nervously at Laguna.

Laguna was sporting an ear-to-ear grin as his eyes swept over Cloud. His green eyes held a friendly sparkle as they reassured Leon that he was more than okay with this. "Welcome to the family, Cloud."

Cloud wrenched his eyes away from Leon to finally meet Laguna's. Family?


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Finally, a third chapter! I hope it meets expectations. So I am going to continue with this fic, but most likely it will be disconnected drabble things in the same AU. Some (like chapter 1&2) will be directly related. I need a new summary and want to do chapter titles, so if anyone has suggestions send 'em my way! Anyways, enjoy!

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"Baby?"

Cloud slowly turned from his spot in front of the sink to glare at Leon. "Do I look like an infant?"

"Well…" Leon drawled, looking the blond up and down.

Cloud's glare deepened. He opened his mouth to retort before shooting a quick glance at Laguna. Laguna was comfortably seated at the kitchen table, nursing what was left of his beer. He was watching the interaction between the two with his delight evident on his face.

This had been going on for several weeks now. It had started because Cloud apparently made some comment about Leon's nicknames leaving something to be desired. And ever since, Leon had been coming up with various alternatives. Of course, most were picked with the intended desire of annoying the blond.

Laguna's smirk widened as he took another sip of his drink. He'd grown rather fond of the blond since their first meeting. He'd been completely honest when he called Cloud family. The blond was family to Leon, which made him part of Laguna's as well. And in an effort to get to know him better, he'd taken to inviting Cloud out for a quick coffee during the blond's breaks. At first Cloud would sit rigid in his chair, eyeing Laguna with skepticism while he slowly sipped his coffee. But after Laguna threw an arm around Cloud's shoulders and introduced him as his son to an old acquaintance, Cloud started to come around.

They would meet for coffee every couple of days, and when Laguna told Cloud he wanted to start having weekly family dinners, the blond jumped on the idea. Much to Leon's dismay, Cloud agreed to the family dinners which would alternate between Laguna's house and their apartment. And since they already had dinner together at the apartment, tonight they were occupying Laguna's kitchen.

"You almost done washing, Angel?" Leon ignored Cloud's scowl as he placed a freshly cleaned and dried plate back in the cupboard. He turned to the blond arching a brow; waiting for an answer as he grabbed his previously discarded tea towel.

Cloud walked slowly towards the brunet before jabbing a warning finger into Leon's chest. "Keep it up, Leonhart, and you'll be sleeping on the couch for at least a week."

"Oh c'mon Darlin'. It's better than Jerk isn't it?" Leon teased. The fingers of his free hand wrapped around Cloud's wrist, removing the accusatory finger from his chest before lifting the hand to affectionately kiss Cloud's palm.

"I hate you." Cloud glowered but his voice held no venom.

Laguna let out a laugh as he rose from his chair, clearing the last of his dishes. He took over Cloud's place in front of the sink, continuing where the blond left off. "How about Dollface?"

Cloud turned his glare on Laguna, folding his arms across his chest with a humpf. "Traitor."

"Hm. I like it." Leon wrapped his arms around Cloud from behind, propping his chin on Cloud's shoulder.

Cloud rolled his eyes as he sunk back into Leon's warm embrace, folding his arms over Leon's "And I still hate you, Dickhead."

"Not so fond of that one." Leon chuckled as he kissed Cloud's cheek. And no matter how put out the blond acted, he still leaned into the affectionate gesture.

Laguna let out a laugh that reminded the two they weren't alone. Leon squinted at Laguna while Cloud tilted his head to the side. "What?" they questioned in unison.

"Nothing. But I've got the cutest sons." Laguna grinned.

Two equally heated glares met Laguna's sparkling eyes making him laugh even harder.

"Though," Leon mused, meeting Laguna's eye with a mischievous smirk before affectionately nuzzling blond spikes. "You are cute."

Cloud shifted in Leon's arms, turning enough to meet Leon's grey eyes over his shoulder. "What exactly are you trying for? Permanent occupation of the couch?"

"Of course not. You wanted better nicknames, so I'm trying." Leon kissed Cloud's forehead before pulling back to make eye contact once more. "Plus, I get a kick out of watching you blush."

"Ass." Cloud muttered as he pulled free from Leon's hold.

"I'm starting to think it's not my nicknames that are a problem."

"Movie?" Laguna interrupted the two as he rinsed the suds from the last dish before placing it in the drying rack.

"Sure." Cloud shot a glance at Leon. "Why not?"

Leon gave a small nod making Laguna's face split in a wide grin. "Why don't you pick one out, Laguna?"

Laguna exited the kitchen to pick out a movie and get it ready, giving his boys some privacy. It hadn't taken him long to notice how in public they'd barely even touch. Seeing them walking down the street with fingers entwined was a rarity. But in the comfort of their home, and now his, they were never more than an arm's length apart. Being privy to their playful and sincere affection was an honour Laguna held dear. Seeing his son happy and content gave him that fairy-tale warm and fuzzy feeling and he thanked whichever deity was responsible for bringing Cloud into Leon's life.

As soon as Laguna left the kitchen, Leon shoved Cloud against the counter attacking his lips in a heated kiss. The blond's lips parted in surprise allowing Leon's tongue entrance to his mouth. The brunet's hands dropped to rest on Cloud's hips; exactly where they belonged. Cloud's arms wrapped around Leon, his fingers digging almost painfully into the brunet's back as he fought the need for air. Eventually Leon released soft lips, only to attach his mouth to the column of Cloud's neck. Leon nibbled and sucked on the sensitive skin just below the blond's ear making his breath hitch. Cloud's bottom lip soon disappeared into his mouth as he bit back a moan.

"You know you're at three weeks with no sex right?" Cloud breathed, still sucking in mouthfuls of air.

"Three?" Leon questioned, pulling back from Cloud's neck. Cloud replied with a small shrug and nod. "That's hurting you just as much as me."

"Uh-uh." Cloud shook his head, causing blond spikes to sway and bob. "There's this waiter at the café near work who's definitely willing."

"Don't even think about it Strife." A low growl emitted from the brunet's throat as his mood instantly darkened.

"Thinking's not a crime Leonhart." Cloud teased, ignoring the jealousy flaring up in gunmetal-grey eyes.

"I won't hesitate to tie you up."

"I'm really not into the whole bondage thing."

"And that's something a father does not need to hear." Laguna had walked back into the kitchen finding Cloud caged between the counter and Leon. Leon was staring down at Cloud with his grey eyes narrowed and his lips drawn in a tight line as he glared at the blond. The muscles along Leon's arms tensed as his grip tightened possessively on Cloud's hip. Cloud leaned forward to softly kiss the scar that ran between Leon's eyes before gently pushing the brunet away.

"Sorry." Cloud murmured to Laguna, ducking his head as a rosy blush coloured his cheeks.

Laguna chuckled shaking his head. "The movie's all ready to go."

The tension in Leon's body subsided as he pulled Cloud towards him to gently place a kiss in the mess of blond spikes. Cloud gave him a small smile before nudging Leon towards the door.

They made their way into the living room where Laguna had two couches, both angled with perfect views of the television. Laguna took up occupation of one, sitting back with his feet propped up on the coffee table. Leon plopped down on the other, his legs stretched out along the length of the couch. Cloud settled himself in between Leon's legs with his back nestled comfortably against Leon's chest. Laguna hit 'play' and as the opening credits began to roll, Cloud tilted his head back to place a soft kiss to Leon's jaw.

Leon smiled down at Cloud. "Love you Strife."

"Love you too Leonhart."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Alrighty. So this chapter came from a conversation about whether or not Cloud has an accent and if that would stem from a Nibelheim dialect. So thanks to wxxyz and several fics (which we don't recall the names of but thanks to all previous author's for the inspiration) Cloud speaks "Nibel" (because Nibelheim village is apparently in the Nigel region) which is actually Al Bhed from FFX. I didn't want to use any real languages for fear of totally butchering them and insulting anyone. Translations are at the bottom or you can check out stefangage albhed . html (without the spaces). Let me know what you think.

And a gentle reminder these chapters aren't necessarily in any linear timeline.

(and that was way too many brackets)

* * *

Cloud was pissed. That much was obvious when he grabbed the back of Leon's jacket collar and dragged him out of the bar. The narrowed, icy-blue eyes and flaring nostrils were another indication as the blond let out an animalistic snarl while he shoved Leon through the door of the apartment before stalking into the kitchen. He returned, hurling an ice pack at the brunet before pacing furiously around the living room.

Leon pressed the ice to his cheek just below his left eye as he wiped droplets of blood from his cracked bottom lip with the back of his other hand. That drunk had a mean right swing. He turned his unfocused gaze to Cloud with the decency of looking ashamed for his earlier actions. The pleasant buzz and soft high of alcohol had abated during their short walk home leaving the brunet properly horrified.

What had started as a quiet drink at the local bar, ended with an all-out bar-brawl thanks to Leon's hot head. A previous flame of Cloud's had been at the bar and in a drunken haze, attempted to get back into the blond's bed. Cloud had turned him down. Repeatedly. And all but ordered Leon to leave it alone. But when an eavesdropping jackass propositioned Cloud, Leon saw red. It would have been fine if the jackass' friend hadn't piped in actually calling Cloud a whore.

Leon should not be held responsible for throwing the first punch. Or for each of his subsequent ones. But the flash of anger in cerulean eyes told him he'd be paying for those punches for a long time.

"Cloud. I-"

"No, Leon! I told you to leave it. Why don't you ever listen to me?" Cloud threw his hands in the air as he went back to his pacing, mumbling something unintelligible.

"I couldn't just let him call you a _whore_." Leon defended. He was starting to get agitated the angrier Cloud was getting with him. He had hit the ass for Cloud, dammit.

"If I wanted a fight, Leonhart, I would have hit the bastard myself!" Cloud raised his voice as he stopped moving to glower at Leon. "Hyne, you c_dippunh ycc._"

"Wh-what?" Leon spluttered, giving his head a small shake. He must have misheard.

"_Oui yna yh yccruma,_ Leonhart! _Fryd dra ramm fana oui ajah drehgehk? Cdyndehk y tysh pnyfm. Naymmo? Palyica cusa tnihg nyh rec suidr uvv?_"

Nope. He hadn't misheard. Cloud had really gone off on a diatribe in some foreign language. "Cloud?"

The blond didn't seem to hear Leon as he continued moving around the living room, his hands gesturing frantically as he spoke. Leon had never seen Cloud so animated before as his eyes flashed and arms waved, all while he continued on in his harsh, unfamiliar dialect.

"_Cdibet. Cdibet. Cdibet. Ev ra bnaccac lrynkac, oui luimt muca ouin zup! Ec ouin tysh bneta fundr ouin zup? Oui zaymuic zylgycc. Yht fa'na hajan kuehk du pa ypma du ku pylg drana. Eteud!_"

Leon tried keeping up with Cloud's tirade. Picking out repeated words and sounds in a futile effort to understand. But no matter how hard he racked his brain, he could make no sense of the words tumbling out of the blond's mouth. Leon let out a sigh of defeat as he shifted on his feet, bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of nose.

Cloud caught the action and stopped mid-sentence spitting out a vehement "_Ycc_" before going back to his fast-paced rant.

Giving up on trying to understand what Cloud was saying, Leon just listened to how it all sounded. What he had earlier categorized as a harsh language was actually beautiful as it spilled from Cloud's lips. The blond's talented tongue rolled around the words giving them a smooth finish as they filled the apartment. And the more Cloud spoke, the thicker his accent became; settling into a pleasing drawl.

"_Fro? _Huh?_ Tet oui naymmo drehg drnufehk bihlrac fyc kuehk du cumja yhodrehk? Oui cruimt ryja mavd ed dra vilg ymuha. Pid hu. Oui zicd ryt du pa y pek, tysh ranu. E tuh'd haat bnudaldehk. Vnus oui un yhouha amca._"

Cloud's rant came to an end as he turned to look at Leon expectantly. His arms were folded over his chest as he arched an eyebrow daring Leon to disagree with what had been said.

"Uh...Cloud...? That wasn't... What?"

Cloud's expression briefly morphed into one of confusion before anger once more flared across his features. "You weren't listening. Again."

"I was listening Cloud. _You_ weren't speaking English. And what the hell is an _eteud_?"

"I wasn't speaking-? Oh." Cloud blushed, his earlier fury quickly replaced with embarrassment. "An _eteud_ is an idiot." he murmured, head dropping so blond bangs could curtain blue eyes.

"An idiot? Jeez…thanks…" Leon ran the fingers of his free hand through his hair as he continued to hold the warming ice pack to his cheek. "So... What was all that?"

"Nibel."

"Ah. And why is this the first I'm hearing it?"

Cloud's blush darkened as he turned away from Leon. Talking to the floor, he answered "Because...I don't speak it often...?"

"Why not?"

Cloud shrugged.

"Does Tifa speak it?"

A nod.

"Cloud?"

Cloud reluctantly broke eye contact with the carpet and met Leon's gaze.

"Why don't you speak it more often?"

"People hear a mountain dialect, and assume I'm some uneducated _pycdynt_." Cloud sighed, running a hand through his chaotic spikes. "A…uh…bastard," he clarified. "And I'm not."

"Cloud, c'mere." Leon removed the ice pack, leaving it on the coffee table as he spread his arms invitingly.

Cloud moved across the room to wrap his arms around Leon; snaking them under the scarred man's leather jacket. He burrowed his face into Leon's shoulder as his fingers tangled in the back of the brunet's shirt. Leon returned the embrace; strong arms wrapped tightly around the smaller body. He nuzzled soft, flaxen spikes as he pulled the blond closer.

"M'sorry for yelling at you."

"I'm sorry for not listening, and starting a fight."

"S'okay."

"But I couldn't let him get away with that."

"I can fight my own battles, Leon." Cloud pulled away slightly so he could glare into grey eyes; but his fingers stayed tightly fisted in the white t-shirt. "I don't need you protecting me."

"And if it had been me he insulted? What would you have done?"

"Kicked his ass."

"Exactly."

Cloud gave in with a hmpf; a puff of breath blowing blond bangs from his face. "_Gecc sa._" Leon quirked an eyebrow making Cloud sigh playfully. "Kiss me."

"My lips bleeding."

"Don't." Cloud tilted his head up so his lips lightly brushed Leon's. "Care."

That was all the prompting he needed before Leon bent his neck and crashed sore lips into soft ones. A calloused hand came up to tangle fingers in silky spikes while Leon's other armed snaked further around Cloud's back; pulling him closer. Cloud's hold on Leon's shirt tightened as he let the brunet control the kiss before he had to break for air.

"Now," Leon sucked in a large gulp of air that tasted pleasantly like Cloud. He placed a quick kiss to Cloud's forehead before pulling back to meet bright blue eyes. "Can you teach me some of that Nibel stuff."

Cloud nodded slowly as his breath evened out. He hadn't planned on Leon ever hearing his mother-tongue; never mind teaching him any of it. Cloud nibbled nervously on his bottom lip before blurting out, "_Muja oui._"

"_Muja oui._" Leon repeated; tongue nowhere near as smooth as Cloud's as the words stumbled out. Cloud nodded, smiling shyly up at Leon. It wasn't a bad first attempt. "What did I just say?"

"Nothing." Cloud's smile turned into a mischievous grin as Leon rolled his eyes.

"That's not teaching."

"You're still in trouble."

"He still deserved it." Leon replied with another roll of his eyes. He tightened his hold on Cloud, pulling the blond back into a hug. Cloud let out a content sigh as he rested his head back on Leon's shoulder.

"_Eteud_."

* * *

**Translations** - the transitions are in order of appearance, but don't include words Cloud translated for Leon.

(stubborn ass)

(You are an asshole, Leonhart! What the hell were you even thinking? Starting a damn brawl. Really? Because some drunk ran his mouth off?)

(Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. If he presses charges, you could lose your job! Is your damn pride worth your job? You jealous jackass. And we're never going to be able to go back there. Idiot!)

(Why? Huh? Did you really think throwing punches was going to solve anything? You should have left it the fuck alone. But no. You just had to be a big, damn hero. I don't need protecting. From you or anyone else.)

(Love you)


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I had this just sitting in my drafts and I figured I'd post it now, even though it's short and not so happy. Because angst now makes the fluff fluffier. Right? But this is also where the lack of a linear timeline is important because the next chapter I post will probably not be a conclusion to this one. I'm attempting some pre-relationship chapters. Anyways, here ya go.

* * *

Somehow Leon managed to hang up the phone before dropping to his knees. Cid's words echoing around in his head until they spilled out; filling the silent apartment.

…_I'm sorry ta be the one tellin' ya this, kid…_

…_thought it'd be best ta 'ear it from a friend…_

Haunting whispers becoming so loud Leon could hear them over the blood rushing in his ears and the violent thumping of his wreaked heart hammering against his rib cage.

…_I'm sorry… kid…_

Sorry? Sorry wasn't going to fix this. Sorry wasn't going to stop the grotesque images the played out beneath his eyelids. Sorry wasn't going to stop the ache in his chest; restricting his breathing and clenching at his heart. Sorry was just a meaningless word. An empty conglomeration of letters used to fill silences. Sorry changed nothing.

A soft knock sounded at the door. Slow and gentle; barely penetrating the chaos racing through the brunet's head. The knock soon turned hurried. Desperate and frantic. Pleading for someone to open the door. Leon ignored it in favour of watching the room spin and listening to the taunting whispers. There was a soft click as the door unlocked before it was slowly pushed open. Moments later, Laguna dropped to his knees beside Leon.

"Squall? What's wrong?" Laguna placed a gentle hand on Leon's shoulder. Patiently waiting for a response.

Leon only shook his head. His chocolate bangs swaying slightly side to side. The whispers were getting louder as dread clawed at his chest tearing him apart. Opening him up. Leaving him raw and vulnerable.

"I was supposed to meet Cloud-"

At the blond's name, Leon let out a pained whimper as he slumped forward. Laguna's strong arms the only thing keeping him from landing on his face.

"Squall. What happened?" Laguna shuffled around on the floor to kneel directly in front of Leon. His hands on either of his son's shoulders to keep him from falling over as he continued to sway on his knees.

"There was an accident." Leon finally mumbled. His head bobbed forward as all the strength he had left rushed out of him along with words.

A cold sense of dread hit Laguna at the announcement. His blood was replaced by ice; coursing through his veins as he struggled to maintain his calm. As much as he cared about Cloud, he couldn't fall apart in front of Leon. He had to stay strong for his son. Laguna mentally shook the anguish from his head as he sucked in a breath; calming his speeding heart.

"What-," a choked sob broke free of Leon's throat has he slowly raised his head. "What do I do if he- I can't live without him, Dad."

"Shhh… It's going to be okay, Leon. He's going to be okay." Laguna cooed as he pulled Leon into a hug, softly brushing fingers through Leon's hair in an effort to soothe. He'd never seen his son look so broken, so lost, and he'd do whatever it took to hold him together. Whatever it took to keep him together until Cloud was back at his side. Because Cloud _had_ to be okay.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I am so so so sorry for how long it's been. Life all kinda happened at once and I had one of the most stressful months of my life. Then I had trouble finding time write and when I did, I had no ideas. So after spending the whole day in front of my laptop, I've finally got something done. I'm going to be honest with you and tell you that I'm not 100% happy with this.

As a fair warning, this is the conclusion to Cloud's accident and involves hospital stuff which I know zero about. And Google really let me down in the research department. So if this is your thing, I'm really sorry that I've probably misrepresented a lot. As well, I know there is a lot that I glossed over or sugar-coated, but I was starting to get way too bogged down in the details.

Without further ado, here's the next chapter of "Sweet And Simple".

(ugh. Somehow when I first posted this chapter I cut off the first paragraph. Updating on my cell is not easy. Here's hoping nothing else was cut.)

* * *

Laguna wasn't sure how he managed it, but somehow he got a broken Leon to tell him everything Cid had said. After some gentle coaxing, Leon told Laguna that Cloud had been hit by a car shortly after leaving work. Cid had seen him off only to hear the sickening screech of metal hitting metal moments after he turned back into his garage. The first thing he saw was Cloud's beloved Fenrir lying in a twisted heap in the middle of the road. When he got closer to the collision, he saw Cloud's limp body thrown several feet away.

Cid told Leon that Cloud was unconscious by the time he got to him. The older blond had carefully slid the visor of Cloud's helmet up to find the younger man alive but barely breathing. The paramedics told Cid, Cloud would likely have been DOA had he not been wearing a helmet. When Leon heard that, he felt his stomach drop and heart stop. Cloud was notorious for not wearing a helmet on his bike; preferring to wear just a pair of goggles to keep his vision clear. He'd only opted for the helmet because he'd been meeting Laguna and knew the older man would report back to Leon. Which would have resulted in another lecture.

By the time Leon had recounted Cid's phone call to Laguna, he felt numb. This was all just a bad dream. He'd wake up any moment and find Cloud, safe and unharmed, curled up next to him in bed. He'd tell Cloud about his dream only for the blond to shake his head and laugh; telling Leon he was being ridiculous.

"Squall?"

Leon came crashing back to reality with Laguna's voice gently prodding for more answers.

"Can you hear me?"

Leon nodded dumbly.

"Where is he?"

Leon continued to stare straight ahead. Where was who?

"Which hospital?"

Hospital?

"Squall?"

Hospital. Cloud was in a hospital. And Leon wasn't with him.

"Radiant Garden General." Leon replied mechanically. Cloud was in Radiant Garden General.

With renewed strength, Leon pulled away from Laguna. He pushed himself up from the floor to stand on unsteady legs. Once upright, Leon started groping through his pockets trying to find his car keys. He should be at the hospital. Not sobbing uselessly into his father's shoulder on the floor of his apartment.

"Squall." Laguna reprimanded. "You're not driving in that state."

"I have to get to Cloud." Leon insisted as he continued to look for his keys.

"I'll drive." Laguna had already risen to his feet and made his way to the door.

Leon stopped digging through his jacket pockets, looking up at his father standing expectantly at the door. "Fine." He threw his jacket on before pushing past Laguna and making his way to the parking garage. He couldn't find his keys anyways.

The car ride to the hospital had been the longest in Leon's life. Every traffic light seemed to conspire against him; turning red as they'd approach an intersection. All the other cars on the road seemed in on the conspiracy as well; quickly cutting Laguna off only to drop well below the speed limit.

Leon slumped down in the passenger seat as he stared anxiously out of the window. His fingers were dug painfully into his legs as he squashed the urge to rip his hair out in frustration. "Thanks."

"Hmm?" Laguna shot a quick glance at Leon before turning his attention back to the road. "For what?"

"Driving? I don't know." Leon shrugged. "For looking out for me. And Cloud."

"I'm your father, Squall. It's my job."

"But Cloud-"

"Cloud needs just as much looking after as you do."

Leon shook his head before looking back out the window. The hospital came into view as Laguna made an easy left turn. Leon sat up straighter in his seat; ready to get out the moment Laguna put the car into park. Laguna had pulled into the first stall he came to, not wanting to waste any more time by driving around a parking lot. He hastily exited the car before jogging to catch up with Leon who was already nearing the hospital's doors.

"Strife. Cloud Strife." Leon had barely stepped through the emergency room doors before he was making demands for information at the nurses' station. "He was in an accident. Hit on his bike. Tell me he's okay."

"Are you family? Blood relative?" The red-headed nurse seated behind the desk barely spared Leon a glance before she went back to her computer screen. Her perfectly manicured nails never once stopping in their incessant tapping at the keyboard before her.

"Uh… no… I'm his-"

"Not a blood relative? Are you his…" The nurse finally looked up from the computer, fingers halting in their movements as she eyed Leon with a look of barely contained disgust. "…husband?" she finished with a sneer.

"Not technically. But-"

"Then it's against hospital policy to give you patient information. We can only give out information to family." The nurse waved Leon away with a dismissive flick of her wrist as she went back to her monitor.

"I _am_ his family." Leon insisted.

"You're not a blood relative or a spouse. You're not family-"

"I'M HIS ONLY FAMILY!" Leon slammed his fist down on the counter causing a hush to settle over the waiting room as everyone turned their attention to the scarred brunet. "He's my life."

"Do I have to call security?" The nurse ignored Leon's plea as she pushed back from the desk; glaring up with a challenge in her eyes.

"No." Laguna quickly stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Leon's shoulder. "Squall. Calm down."

Leon shrugged the hand off his shoulder with a growl, but reluctantly backed away from the counter.

Once Laguna was sure Leon had some semblance of control on his temper, he turned back to the nurse. "Me and my son are that kid's only family. Please, just tell us what's happening."

"It's against-"

"He's still in surgery, Sweetie."

The two brunets turned their attention to an older nurse who was leaning over another work terminal towards the back of the nurses' station. She clicked on several buttons before looking back up with a soft smile. Her light brown hair was tied back in a messy bun with streaks of grey highlighting her temples. Creases lined her friendly face and her bright green eyes crinkled at the corners while she continued to smile.

"What- Why?" The feeling of dread that had been clawing at Leon since Cid's call returned. Tearing open fresh wounds to track alongside the old ones. Surgery couldn't be good.

The nurse's smile faltered as she straightened from the computer and made her way towards Leon and Laguna. "Why don't you two have a seat while I find you some tea? Hmm?"

"Please. I have to-"

"I'll find out if there's any news when I get your tea." The nurse interrupted matter-of-factly.

"It's against policy." The red-headed nurse spoke up as she glared accusingly at the older woman.

"Oh _hush_, Cheryl. You heard him. They're family."

"They're _gay_." the red-headed nurse, Cheryl, hissed conspiratorially.

Leon clenched his jaw as his fingers curled into fists. He breathed out through his nose; his nostrils flaring as he attempted to reign in the anger already boiling beneath the surface. Laguna opened his mouth to retort, to tell the homophobic nurse exactly what he thought. But the elder nurse beat him to it, glaring down at Cheryl with such fire the red-headed female sunk back in her chair.

"Bed-pans. Clean them. Now." The command was curt and direct. Leaving no room for protest.

Cheryl shot Leon a biting glare as she stood from the desk. Without a word, derogatory or otherwise, she turned on her heel and stomped off down the hallway.

"Now sit." The elder nurse turned back to Leon and Laguna, her face softening as she gestured to the waiting room's seats.

Laguna gently steered Leon towards the chairs, forcing his son into one of the empty seats. Leon reluctantly sat down; slumping forwards in the chair so he could bury his face in his hands. His stomach was in knots; twisting and churning as his mind turned out horrific scenario after horrific scenario. In a matter of seconds, Leon could very well have lost the love of his life.

The kindly nurse soon arrived with their tea as promised. Leon ignored the offered cup as he waited expectantly for the update she had promised as well. With a tired sigh, the nurse relayed that Cloud suffered an intracranial hemorrhage that put pressure on his brain. Surgery was required to relieve the pressure as well as deal with severe internal bleeding before moving to Cloud's non-fatal injuries. With a gentle pat on his shoulder, the nurse assured Leon that the best trauma surgeons in the world worked at Radiant Garden General; Cloud was in good hands. Then she all but shoved the cooling tea into Leon's hand as he muttered a small 'thanks' before she was off seeing to other ER patients.

Several hours -and a dozen cups of tea- later, one of the doctors finally came out looking for Cloud's family. He was a tall, middle-aged man with a stern face and piercing brown eyes. His white lab coat was immaculate and his scrubs perfectly straight giving the impression of a man who never had so much as a hair out of place. He glanced down at the clipboard held firmly in his hands before calling out in a monotonous drawl, "Strife. Is the family of one 'Cloud Strife' here?"

Leon shot off his chair so fast he sent it clanging to the floor. Laguna didn't bother straightening the fallen chair as he sent his own to the floor in his haste to hear if Cloud was alright. He was only several steps behind Leon as they both approached the doctor looking just as harried and exhausted as they felt.

"You're Mr. Strife's family?"

"Yes." The two brunet's answered in unison as they nodded emphatically.

"As I'm sure you've been made aware, at approximately 1pm Mr. Strife-"

"Cloud." Leon interrupted.

"Cloud?" the doctor eyed Leon quizzically.

"He'd hate being called 'mister'" Leon shrugged.

"Very well." The doctor cleared his throat before looking back down at the clipboard in his hands. "At approximately 1pm _Cloud_ was involved in a collision on his motorcycle. He was hit at a cross street by an inebriated driver going well above the posted speed limit. Paramedics arrived on the scene to find him unresponsive before rushing him here. Once here, he had to undergo emergency surgery for an intracranial hemorrhage and severe internal bleeding. Which, I am told, you were made aware."

The doctor paused to watch as father and son both nodded in the affirmative before continuing on.

"That, however, is not the extent of Cloud's injuries. He has multiple cracked ribs, a broken wrist, a broken leg, as well as several lacerations and bruising all over his body including his face and hands. Now, we won't know the degree of any brain or spinal damage until he has regained consciousness. But-"

"When will that be? Him waking up, I mean." Leon interrupted again, causing the stern doctor to bristle.

"That all depends on him. Could be only a couple of hours or several weeks. It's hard to tell in these situations. _But_, as I was going to say before I was interrupted, am I right in assuming you are 'Lee'?"

Leon looked at the doctor slightly bewildered at the unexpected question. "Only Cloud calls me that."

"He had a brief moment of lucidity in the ambulance before his arrival and the paramedics said he was asking for a 'Lee'. This is a good sign; him regaining consciousness as well as being aware enough to look for you. Now your…" the doctor's brown eyes gave Leon a calculating once over before his face softened, "…husband isn't out of the woods just yet. But it's all very promising. He's in room 327."

"Thank you." The doctor gave Leon a brief nod before turning and striding purposefully away.

The sick feeling in Leon's gut eased slightly. Cloud had awoken, however briefly, and had been looking for _him_. The tightness in his chest and churning in his stomach were still there; Cloud wasn't in the clear. But there was _promise_.

"This is good, Squall." Laguna gave Leon a pat on the back as he smiled at his son. "Cloud is a fighter. And you know he is going to fight to get back to you."

"How can you be so calm about all this?" Leon wondered as he turned slightly to look Laguna in the eye.

Laguna's calming smile stretched across his lips. "My son needs me to be."

Leon sighed before trying to return Laguna's smile with a half-hearted attempt. "He'll be alright. Right Dad?"

"Right. Now, which room was he in? 327?"

Leon stopped outside the door, hand lightly resting on the doorknob. As soon as he steps through the door, that's it. Cloud will really be lying in a hospital bed covered in bandages and casts and hooked up to multiple machines. And Leon wasn't ready for that. Cloud was the strongest person Leon knew, and no matter what, he was going to look fragile and broken just beyond the door. With several shaky breaths, Leon firmed his resolved and pushed the door open.

The steady beeping and soft hum of machines filled the otherwise silent room. Cloud looked impossibly pale against the sterile white hospital sheets; covered in bandages and purpling scars. Leon stepped further into the room, slowly approaching the bed. He brought his hand up, fingers itching to run through Cloud's flaxen spikes. Instead, he let his hand drop to hang uselessly at his side.

Laguna followed soon after Leon, stopping at the door to watch his son look over his wounded lover. He closed the distance between the door and the bed giving Leon's shoulder a comforting squeeze before settling down in one if the chairs on either side of Cloud's bed. Leon soon followed suit; pulling his chair as close to Cloud as possible.

"_Muja*_? I need you to come back to me. Wake up, please? For me?" Leon murmured his plea to the silent room. Hoping that maybe, just maybe, Cloud would hear him and wake up.

Several hours later, and Leon was still keeping a watchful eye over the comatose blond. His shoulders had drooped, curling forward as he slouched in the uncomfortable chair. Leon's fingers were loosely threaded through Cloud's, his thumb drawing soothing circles along the back of Cloud's hand.

Laguna had left under the guise of having some urgent work that needed doing when, really, he wanted to give Leon some privacy. He'd been watching as his son fell apart only put himself back together as best he could, since he first found him slouched on the apartment floor. Leon was fighting as hard as he could to appear strong and unbreakable. Not wanting anyone, even his father, to see him as weak. Laguna knew he needed to be alone. Then Leon could finally let himself fall apart. So Laguna chose to step out for a couple of hours to find him and his son something to eat that wasn't lousy hospital food. As well as call the incessant Cid to keep the elder blond updated.

Cid had called frequently for any news on Cloud's condition throughout the day. When the hospital refused to give him any information, he'd gone back to the garage to get to work on Fenrir. He knew Cloud would be wanting to get her fixed up the moment he'd be released from the hospital and figured he'd get as much done as he could before that happened.

Leon had thrown a fit when Cid told him his intentions; yelling at him to trash the hunk of junk because there was no way Cloud would be riding it again. Laguna had to stifle a laugh at the idea of Leon keeping Cloud away from his beloved bike. There was no way in hell Cloud was going to part with Fenrir. Leon had only scowled at Laguna, knowing full well that he would be fighting a losing battle.

"Here."

Leon tore his eyes away from Cloud to glance at the nurse standing in the doorway. She was holding out a thin, blue blanket as an offering to the scarred brunet.

"Take the blanket and get some sleep. He's not going to disappear if you close your eyes."

Leon turned back to Cloud, ignoring the offered blanket. "I'm not leaving him."

"I didn't say you had to." The nurse moved into the room to drape the blanket across Leon's shoulders. "You can sleep in the chair, then you'll be here if anything happens."

Leon couldn't deny he was tired. Exhausted. He'd been at the hospital for near twenty hours and had been awake for some eight hours before that. But he was afraid the moment he closed his eyes, something would happen.

The nurse had moved around Cloud's bed to take readings off the various machines. She turned back to Leon with a small smile on her face. "He's lucky to have you."

"Uh-uh." Leon shook his head, not taking his eyes off Cloud. "I'm lucky to have him. He could've chosen anyone. But for whatever reason, he chose me."

"Maybe it's because of the way you look at him."

"Huh?" Leon turned to the nurse, his confusion etched across his tired features.

"When you look at him... your whole face changes. It's- it's hard to describe, but you light up. Even with him lying in that bed. You light up."

Leon scowled as he felt a blush make its way up his neck and across his cheeks. He turned away from the nurse, tracing the lines of Cloud's face with his eyes. A small smile tugging at the corner of his lips the longer he stared at the blond. Dammit. The nurse was right. Adjusting his hold on Cloud's limp hand, Leon laid his head down on the bed. His eyes slowly closing from exhaustion as he drifted to sleep to the sound of Cloud's shallow breathing.

A couple of hours later the fingers in Leon's hand twitched. The slight movement pulled the brunet from his light slumber. He stared at the hand held loosely in his, watching as the fingers slowly curled around his own.

"Lee?"

Leon's head snapped up, staring wide-eyed at the blond stirring in the bed in front of him.

Blue eyes looked around the room, clouded with confusion. As they slowly settled on Leon, the haze of confusion lifted as blue eyes focused on grey. The corner of Cloud's lips tugged slightly in a soft smile of recognition. "Leon."

"Cloud." Leon breathed. "I thought I'd lost you."

Cloud shook his head 'no' before squeezing his eyes shut as blinding pain shot through his head. Slowly opened his eyes again to stare at Leon, watching as salty tears made fresh tracks down the brunet's face. Cloud frowned; brow furrowing as he tried to remember why he was in a hospital bed and why Leon was crying.

Leon ignored the tears now freely falling from his eyes as he ran his fingers through Cloud's messy spikes. Cloud was awake. Brain damage and spinal injuries be damned. Cloud was alive and staring at him with his big, blue eyes.

"Don't you _ever_ do that to me again."

Cloud's eyes widen as realization struck. The car. He was leaving Cid's to meet Laguna for lunch when a car came out of nowhere. He tried to swerve out of the way, but the car had been going too fast. He remembered the feeling of pavement slamming into him. Then he was in an ambulance, surrounded by strangers as he looked for Leon. Leon would be worried. He had to tell him he was okay.

"It's okay… Lee…" Cloud's bandaged hand slowly rose to gently cup Leon's cheek. His thumb lightly brushing away the streaks of tears lining the brunet's scared face. "I'm… okay."

A puff of air escaped Leon's lips as he let out a relieved chuckle, his own hand coming up to cover Cloud's. He slotted his fingers between the blond's as he pushed the injured hand tighter against his cheek. Grey eyes fluttered closed as he relished the familiar feeling of Cloud's skin against his. He'd come so close to thinking he'd never see those cerulean eyes again, or get the chance to feel the warm, soft skin of Cloud against his cheek. He thought he'd never again feel the elation of hearing his name spill from Cloud's lips; hear it roll off of Cloud's tongue in a way that made it sound like so much more.

"How are you feeling?"

A smirk spread its way across Cloud's sleepy face. He grimaced slightly as the smirk tugged on the stitches along his cheek, but continued to smile at Leon. "Like…I got hit…by a…truck." His voice was rough and quiet. His words coming out in short bursts as he struggled for air against his fractured ribs.

"Landed myself a comedian, did I?" Leon smiled fondly at the blond, still clutching Cloud's hand to his cheek.

"Mmhmm… But this…comedian…is…gonna…gonna…take a…nap." Cloud settled back on the bed; head nestled comfortably on the pillow as his eyes slowly closed.

"Okay." Leon lowered their joined hands to rest back on the bed but didn't relinquish his hold.

Their hands had barely touched fabric before blue eyes shot open, staring almost fearfully into grey. "You'll be here…? Wh-when I…wake up?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Good." Cloud's eyes drifted closed once more as a small yawn parted his lips. "Love you…Leonhart."

Leon leaned forward, pressing his lips to Cloud's forehead. "Love you too Strife."

A tired smile formed on the Cloud's lips as Leon's words ghosted over his face. A similar smile tugged the corners of Leon's mouth up as he settled back on the chair; Cloud's hand still clutched in his. He went back to tracing circles on the back of the blond's hand with his thumb watching as Cloud drifted back to sleep.

* * *

*_Muja_ is 'Nibel' for _Love_ and I've been going around in circles trying to think of some sort of nickname or pet name that Leon calls Cloud since Cloud calls him Lee. And as I was finishing this up, this came to me. It's just a quick thought and if y'all hate it, I promise to never use it again. Let me know :)

(And if anyone has read "Falling In Reverse" I am attempting a second chapter/conclusion, so if you have any thoughts on that send me a message)


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